Spotlight on Kenneth Gyang|Director of “The Lost Cafe”

If you haven’t heard, Kenneth Gyang’s latest movie, “The Lost Café” premiered in Drammen, Norway earlier this month. Gyang, who’s a two-time winner of the coveted AMAA awards, describes the movie as his most challenging work yet. The movie was shot on location in Calabar, Nigeria, and Norway.

This is the first Norwegian/Nigerian film collaboration, and the Norwegian embassy in Nigeria has thrown its weight behind the film describing it as the kind of art project that fosters better relations between these nations.

The Lost Café is produced by Regina Udalor. Regina who won the 2006 Berlin contest for her 2005 documentary titled ‘Omule was eager to work with a contemporary & talented director who could bring a unique flair to the story. Who better than Kenneth, that is accustomed to working in high-pressure environments and still delivering strong results.

Kenneth’s first feature Confusion Na Wa won Best Film and Best Nigerian Film at the 2013 Africa Movie Academy Awards as well as Jury Prize at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles. Confusion Na Wa was also one of the first Nigerian films bought by Netflix and was the opening night film of the 2014 New York African Film Festival.

Blood & Henna, Kenneth’s second feature film was one of Nigeria’s official showcase films at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games as part of New World Nigeria Investment Campaign with support from Bank of Industry.

In December 2013, Kenneth was chosen as one of “100 Guardians of the Future” honoured by the President of Nigeria at Aso Rock Villa in recognition of his contribution to the Nigerian film industry.

In 2016, Gyang teamed up with EbonyLife to direct Sons of the Caliphate, a politically charged 13-part drama series which drives a unique thematic message, invites viewers into the rich, cultural and flamboyant aristocratic lifestyle of Northern Nigeria.

For Kennth Gyang, there’s no slowing down and we are eager to see “ The Lost Cafe”.

The Lost Cafe is an uplifting story about a girl’s decision to rise above dark family secrets and culture shock to live her dreams abroad, finding the most unusual answers to her troubling questions somewhere in Drammen where she meets the half blind, strange owner of a quaint coffee shop that serves the best coffee in the world… The movie stars Tunde Aladese as Ose with support from Belinda Effah and Ann Njemanze in Nigeria and Terje Lien, Jenny Bonden and Anders Lidin Hansen in Norway.